AI & Dragons: Neurodiverse Creators' Ethical Dilemma

0:00In Sydney today, March 9th, Adam Kelly, a 29-year-old autistic performer, has always used dragons to make sense of human behavior. In his new play, Dragon 1, he dives into the ethics of creative AI. The show asks if AI could help him finish his unfinished dragon stories in drawings, but worries that the results would not truly be his own work. The play comes from a collaboration with director James Berlin, performer Jay Del Borrello, and visual artist Ben Hollingsworth. Everyone involved is neurodiverse, forming what they called the neuroburo. It started as a look at AI's broader impacts but shifted to how it affects creators, especially those who think differently. Team members have strong views on AI's limits. Kelly points out that it's built on majority perspectives, often missing neurodiverse ones and carrying ableist biases. Del Borrello, who plays the AI on stage, calls it banal and unhelpful for real art. They even tried using AI live during rehearsals, but it did not support Kelly's performance.

1:04Dragon Eye mixes lectures, slideshows, and interactive elements in a 60-minute fever dream. Audiences get pencils and paper to draw their own dragons, with an ozlon interpreter at every show. It encourages participation and celebrates human creation over machine output. After a successful run at Perth Festival, the team hopes for more tours. Kelly feels excited and anxious, but draws energy from crowds, performing best in front of them. Berlin sees it as a timely response to AI's rise in creativity. The Daily News Now is powered by our sponsor. Link in the description. Headphones in a pillow. Once you try it, it just makes sense. S-O-L-L-I. SoleyPillow.com